Financially, it's been a baaaad year. People are struggling. Everything from rent to groceries is going way up.
The price of groceries is depressing.. gas prices are depressing.. rent prices are depressing. Life is so depressing right now. Everything except wages keeps going up.
Well, on Sunday, Reddit user u/erectilereptilelol asked, "What's the pro tip to save money?" People came through with some great hacks — both basic and genius — for saving during these times.
Here's what they said:
1. "Pack your lunch. Don't buy it out of the vending machine or eat out. I knew a guy who constantly complained about money. I showed him how two bags of chips and a Monster every day out of the vending machine for $6 total was costing him $125/mo. I also showed him how he could still eat the same things but bring that down to less than $30/mo by getting everything from the grocery store instead and just packing it."
2. "I put a certain amount of money into 4 envelopes (one for each week) and try to spend just that amount. It works for me."
3. "Start budgeting and stick to it. Cancel subscriptions you barely use."
4. "Be conscious of your food spending. Buy supermarket brand food. Batch cook."
5. "Stay single. It's true — relationships cost a lot of money."
6. "If you're talking just about saving money, my advice is to ask yourself, and think deeply, 'Should I buy this thing?' Think about first if you can buy it, then if you want to buy it and then if you should buy it. And if you're talking about making more money, you should check out investments. It helps you in the long- and short-term, and it's a clever way to keep your money without inflation just destroying it."
7. "Buy generic drugstore products! People spend double for the same exact ingredients. In 2022, this stuff matters."
8. "Decluttering before I go shopping. I see the things I’ve spent money on that I don’t really use, wear, or eat and it makes me think harder before I buy something else."
9. "I steal Splenda/sugar packets. Always take three or four when I only need one."
10. "I buy bulk sodium percarbonate and use it instead of Oxyclean."
11. "Visit your local library. Many libraries have much more than books. Instead of buying a tool for a one-time job, you can just borrow it from the library, as you would a book."
12. "Substitute your self-care. Instead of ordering pizza delivery, which can be $30-plus with fee and tip, get two frozen ones. Make it a moment. Instead of buying a facial, get a face mask and do it at home."
—Anonymous
13. "Stop saying yes to things you genuinely don't wanna do. If your friend asks you to see a Marvel movie, and you have zero desire for Marvel stuff prior or right now, then save your $35 (ticket and snacks)."
—Anonymous